Sec. 31j.

(1) From the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $575,000.00 for 2018-2019 for a pilot project to support districts in the purchase of locally grown fruits and vegetables as described in this section.

(2) The department shall provide funding in an amount equal to $125,000.00 per region to districts in prosperity regions 2, 4, 6, and 9 for the pilot project described under this section. In addition, the department shall provide funding in an amount equal to $75,000.00 to districts in prosperity region 8 for the pilot project described under this section. From the funding to districts in subsection (1), funding retained by prosperity regions that administer the project shall not exceed 10%, and funding retained by the department for administration shall not exceed 6%. A prosperity region may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the department or another prosperity region, or both, to administer the project. If the department administers the project for a prosperity region, the department may retain up to 10% of that prosperity region's funding for administration.

(3) The department shall develop and implement a competitive grant program for districts within the identified prosperity regions to assist in paying for the costs incurred by the district to purchase or increase purchases of whole or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, and legumes grown in this state. The maximum amount that may be drawn down on a grant to a district shall be based on the number of meals served by the school district during the previous school year under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act, 42 USC 1751 to 1769j. The department shall collaborate with the Michigan department of agriculture and rural development to provide training to newly participating schools and electronic information on Michigan agriculture.

(4) The goals of the pilot project include improving daily nutrition and eating habits for children through the school settings while investing in Michigan's agricultural and related food business economy.

(5) A district that receives a grant under this section shall use those funds for the costs incurred by the school district to purchase whole or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, and legumes that meet all of the following:

(a) Are purchased on or after the date the district received notification from the department of the amount to be distributed to the district under this subsection, including purchases made to launch meals in September 2018 for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

(b) Are grown in this state and, if minimally processed, are also processed in this state.

(c) Are used for meals that are served as part of the United States Department of Agriculture's child nutrition programs.

(6) For Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes that satisfy the requirements of subsection (5), matching reimbursements shall be made in an amount not to exceed 10 cents for every school meal that is served as part of the United States Department of Agriculture's child nutrition programs and that uses Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

(7) A district that receives a grant for reimbursement under this section shall use the grant to purchase whole or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, and legumes that are grown in this state and, if minimally processed, are also processed in this state.

(8) In awarding grants under this section, the department shall work in conjunction with prosperity region offices, in consultation with Michigan-based farm to school resource organizations, to develop scoring criteria that assess an applicant's ability to procure Michigan-grown products, prepare and menu Michigan-grown products, promote and market Michigan-grown products, and submit letters of intent from districts on plans for educational activities that promote the goals of the program.

(9) The department shall give preference to districts that propose educational activities that meet 1 or more of the following: promote healthy food activities; have clear educational objectives; involve parents or the community; connect to a school's farm-to-school procurement activities; and market and promote the program, leading to increased pupil knowledge and consumption of Michigan-grown products. Applications with robust marketing and promotional activities shall receive stronger weighting and consideration.

(10) In awarding grants, the department shall also consider all of the following: the percentage of children who qualify for free or reduced price school meals under the Richard B. Russell national school lunch act, 42 USC 1751 to 1769j; the variety of school sizes and geographic locations within the identified prosperity regions; and existing or future collaboration opportunities between more than 1 district in a prosperity region.

(11) As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a district shall provide or direct its vendors to provide to prosperity region offices copies of monthly receipts that show the quantity of different Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes purchased, the amount of money spent on each of these products, the name and Michigan location of the farm that grew the products, and the methods or plans to market and promote the program. The district shall also provide to the prosperity region monthly lunch numbers and lunch participation rates, and calendars or monthly menus noting when and how Michigan-grown products were used in meals. The district and school food service director or directors also shall agree to respond to brief online surveys and to provide a report that shows the percentage relationship of Michigan spending compared to total food spending. Not later than March 1, 2019, each prosperity region office, either on its own or in conjunction with another prosperity region, shall submit a report to the department on expected outcomes and related measurements for economic development and children's nutrition and readiness to learn based on progress so far. The report shall include at least all of the following:

(a) The extent to which farmers and related businesses, including distributors and processors, see an increase in market opportunities and income generation through sales of Michigan or local products to districts. All of the following apply for purposes of this subdivision:

(i) The data used to determine the amount of this increase shall be the total dollar amount of Michigan or local fruits, vegetables, and legumes purchased by schools, along with the number of different types of products purchased; school food purchasing trends identified along with products that are of new and growing interest among food service directors; the number of businesses impacted; and the percentage of total food budget spent on Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

(ii) The prosperity region office shall use purchasing data collected for the project and surveys of school food service directors on the impact and success of the project as the source for the data described in subparagraph (i).

(b) The ability to which pupils can access a variety of healthy Michigan-grown foods through schools and increase their consumption of those foods. All of the following apply for purposes of this subdivision:

(i) The data used to determine whether this subparagraph is met shall be the number of pupils exposed to Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes at schools; the variety of products served; new items taste-tested or placed on menus; and the increase in pupil willingness to try new local, healthy foods.

(ii) The prosperity region office shall use purchasing data collected for the project, meal count and enrollment numbers, school menu calendars, and surveys of school food service directors as the source for the data described in subparagraph (i).

(12) The department shall compile the reports provided by prosperity region offices under subsection (11) into 1 legislative report. The department shall provide this report not later than April 1, 2019 to the house and senate subcommittees responsible for school aid, the house and senate fiscal agencies, and the state budget director.

History: Add. 2016, Act 249, Eff. Oct. 1, 2016 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 108, Eff. Oct. 1, 2017 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 143, Imd. Eff. Nov. 2, 2017 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 265, Eff. Oct. 1, 2018 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 586, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 2018